the latest happenings at bangkok airways REGAL VISITOR

Her Royal Highness Princess Ubolratana Rajakanya Siri Vadhana Phannavadi (centre) graciously visited Bangkok Airways’ booth at ITB , the international travel and tourism trade fair held in Berlin from 7-11 March. The Princess was welcomed by ML Nandhika Varavarn, Vice President of Corporate Communications, Dr Prasert Prasarttong-Osoth, the airline’s President and CEO, HE Dr Suvit Yodmani, Minister of Tourism and Sports, his wife Khunying Songsuda Yodmani, and Mrs Phornsiri Manoharn, the Governor of the Tourism Authority of Thailand.

BANGKOK AIRWAYS OPEN 2007 The anticipation is mounting as the Bangkok Airways Open returns to the Santiburi Samui Country Club, Koh Samui, in a four-day tournament starting 7 June. Currently in its fourth year, the competition has gone from strength to strength and is now recognised as one of the region’s foremost golfing events, attracting top golfers from Thailand such as Thongchai Jaidee. Competition for the US$300,000 prize is expected to be fierce, as last year’s champion, Chawalit Plaphol returns to defend his title in the Asian Tour event. The Bangkok Airways Open builds upon the success of its previous three tournaments, first organised in 2004 and held annually ever since. Most notable was the 2005 event, when the tournament made its debut as a part of the Asian Tour.

SUKHOTHAI AIRPORT WINS GREEN AWARD

For the fifth year in a row, Bangkok Airways’ Sukhothai Airport has received the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) Monitoring Award . The award, which recognises businesses with excellent environmental management, is the latest in a string of environmental awards to honour Sukhothai Airport’s earth-friendly policies. The open-air terminal modelled after classic Siamese pagodas is cooled naturally, dispensing with the use of air-conditioning systems. Moreover, Bangkok Airways grows organic rice in paddy fields surrounding the airport. This rice is harvested and served onboard as a part of Bangkok Airways’ tasty inflight menu.

ART CAMP FOR SAMUI KIDS In collaboration with the Koh Samui Municipality, Bangkok Airways recently organised a fun, two-day art camp for over 100 students on 25–27 April. The workshop, in its eighth year, was conducted by well-known art teacher, Sungkom Th ongmee. The students, who hail from 26 different schools across the island, had an opportunity to express themselves freely on canvas. In the climax to the camp, about 30 artists were selected to be flown into Bangkok where their creations went on show in a local exhibition. The project, spearheaded by Bangkok Airways, hopes to promote creativity and foster artistic talent among the young.

MAXIM HOLDS GLOBAL CONFERENCE IN SAMUI Bangkok Airways welcomed over a hundred editors of Maxim magazine to Koh Samui. The publication is America’s largest men’s lifestyle magazine and has 31 editions in 45 countries. The annual Maxim Global Conference 2007 , held on 28-31 March, puts the island on the map as a venue for meetings, incentives, conferences and exhibitions (MICE). Gracing the occasion were a host of Thai models and celebrities. Among the guests were ML Nandhika ( left ) and Laikram Lerdvittayaprasit ( right) of Maxim Thailand posing with a model.

 

REDEEMING YOUR FLYERBONUS POINTS There are many exciting awards to choose from when redeeming FlyerBonus points , and best of all, it’s convenient and hassle-free! Members can redeem FlyerBonus points by visiting the FlyerBonus website and completing an online award redemption request. * Awards include flights, hotel stays and car rental vouchers. A one-way domestic flight gets 100 FlyerBonus points and a one-way international flight, 150 points. Once you’ve been on 10 domestic flights, you’ll be eligible to redeem awards! Fast-track your way to redeeming awards by becoming a FlyerBonus member today. New members will receive 15 points when taking their first flight with Bangkok Airways or Siem Reap International Airways. Log onto www.bangkokair.com/flyerbonus to sign up now, or call +66 (0)2 265-5999 during o? ce hours. * Redeeming award tickets for the Blue Ribbon Club (Business Class) can only be made by contacting our customer service centre a minimum of seven days prior to travel.

NEW DESTINATION – PAKSE Bangkok Airways has added another direct flight to its route map. The carrier now flies from Bangkok to the Laotian city of Pakse every Tuesday and Saturday. Pakse is gateway to the south of the country. Home to stunning cultural and natural gems, (see The Pick of Pakse), this region is one of Southeast Asia’s last unexplored frontiers. A must-see at the top of every visitor’s list should be Wat Phou, a UNESCO World Heritage Site as well as the most picturesque Angkor-era temple to be found outside Cambodia. Take a boat south from Pakse and set sail to explore Si Phan Don, an archipelago of four thousand islands in the middle of the famous Mekong River that was known during French colonial times as “The Tahiti of Laos”.